My pace remained high as I moved between the trees, the ground shifting under my feet with each step, roots and uneven soil forcing small adjustments that my body handled without thought. The weight of the axe rested comfortably in my hand, no longer foreign, no longer heavy in the way it had been earlier, as if my grip and the weapon had already settled into an understanding built through constant use.
A sudden movement ahead broke my rhythm.
Two shapes burst out from the undergrowth almost at the same time, their bulk forcing branches aside as they charged forward with low, guttural sounds that carried through the trees. I didn't slow down. The moment they came into view, I checked their identities.
[Monster Boar – Level 17]
[Monster Boar – Level 17]
